1. Field of the Invention
The present invention is generally relating to a facsimile main system and particularly relating to a facsimile mail system which provides excellent service by combination with a private branch exchange system (PBX).
2. Description of the Related Art
In a conventional facsimile mail system, in the case where the facsimile equipment on the reception side is busy or a facsimile accumulator of a specified number is designated, the reception telephone circuit is switched to the facsimile accumulator so that the facsimile signal is temporarily accumulated in the facsimile accumulator and transmitted to an individual facsimile device so as to be printed out by the facsimile device. Further, with respect to a confidential or private facsimile mail, the access to the mail is restricted by use of a password, as described in Japanese Patent Unexamined Publication No. JP-A-62-221258 (1987). As references about such a facsimile mail system, there are Japanese Patent Unexamined Publications Nos. JP-A-58-165452 (1983) and JP-A-58-186253 (1983).
In offices, recently, it is very usual that one facsimile device is provided for each group of several persons while one telephone is provided individually for each person. It is very rare, if any, that one facsimile device is provided for each person. Further, for a confidential or private facsimile mail, it is necessary to input a code representing "confidential" and a reception mail box-number in advance. Further, when a facsimile mail is to be transmitted to a conventional facsimile accumulation switching system, it is necessary in advance to input the call number of the facsimile accumulation switching system for the destination side and subsequently input the mail box number in the facsimile accumulation switching system, so that the input work is troublesome.
Further, in a known system as disclosed in Japanese Patent Unexamined Publication No. JP-A-59-169262 (1984), voice message Journal information is temporarily accumulated in a voice mail device when a telephone recipient is absent, and the recipient can make the accumulated voice message journal information be outputted after media-converted into a facsimile form by inputting a terminal device number into the voice mail device. The journal information transmitted through such a conventional voice mail device includes information on the existence of any message, the number and the reception dates and times of the messages received in a user's mail box, but no information on the degrees of importance of the respective messages. It is therefore impossible to hear the messages selectively in order of degree of importance. This applies also to the case of outputting the journal information through a facsimile device.